Apparatus for packing small objects, especially chocolate bodies, candies, or the like



June 13, 1961 ANS-EL 2,987,862

APPARATUS FOR PA SMALL OBJECTS, ESPECIALLY CHOCOLATE BODIES, CANDIES, OR THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1961 o HANSEL 2,987,862

APPARATUS FOR PACKING SMALL OBJECTS, ESPECIALLY CHOCOLATE BODIES, CANDIES, OR THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tates The present invention relates to an apparatus for packing small objects, especially chocolate bodies, candies, or the like.

Usually, packing of candies is done with the aid of pistons, moving up and down and receiving the candies. Together with a piece of wrapping material placed on the candies, they press these through a folding tunnel or folding devices or they guide them past other folding or closing means which partly enclose the body with the wrapping material. Furthermore, it has already been proposed to completely close the remaining ends of the wrapping material by a twisting operation. This twisting operation can be made at one end only or at both ends. Because of the various different wrapping operations it was necessary to have a complicated mechanism, and the capictiy of a wrapping machine of this type was comparatively low.

It is one object of the present invention to eliminate the deficiencies of the known methods and machines in that several pistons and folding tunnels or folding and closing devices are provided which are simultaneously supplied and operated by a single drive, whereupon the pre-packed objects leaving these devices at the same time, are carried away from these devices carrying out the prepacking operations to remotely arranged members which carry out the twisting operation in that they twist that part of the wrapping material projecting beyond the object to close the packing.

It is another object of the present invention, to provide an apparatus which comprises a single drive for several pistons and their associated folding and closing members and folding tunnels. Furthermore, a feeding device is provided which supplies all of the pistons with the objects to be packed as well as the pieces of the wrapping material. Behind each folding tunnel and behind each set of pre-folders a set of the members carrying out the twisting operation is arranged and a special feeding device receives the pre-packed objects leaving the folding tunnel and the pre-folders and passes them away after the twisting operation.

It is yet another object of the present invention, to provide an apparatus wherein in order to operate the pistons and the folding tunnels simultaneously and uniformly by a single drive, the pistons are arranged close to each other. Therefore, the space for the members carrying out the twisting operations is very limited. To enable several packing operations at the same time, the members for the twisting operation are spaced from the prefolders or folding tunnels, and the devices feeding them comprise conveyors or the like having gripping means and operating in planes which are inclined relative to each other. In this way, the pre-packed objects which are close to each other are transported, by the feeding devices, away from the folding stations or tunnels to the twisting members arranged at a remote position. Thus it is achieved that a greater number of packings is possible at the same time.

Compared with a conventional packing machine the output of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention is considerably increased.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the acompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective front views of different types of packed objects;

'FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic fragmentary side view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3a is a modified detail of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a fractional top plan view of the rotating work table provided in the apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the complete unit,

Various details of which being shown on different scales for a better illustration.

Referring now to the drawings, usually, the objects 14, 14 to be packed are sweets, candies, chocolate bodies, or the like. They may be packed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. According to FIG. 1, the wrapping material 4 is closed by means of twisting both ends, while according to FIG. 2 the wrapping material 4 forms a bag receiving the object 14 and being closed at one end only by twisting the wrapping material.

Conveniently, a feeding table 1, rotatably secured to a vertical shaft 1', is used which on its circumference is provided with recesses 2 and 2' receiving the objects 14, 14' to be packed. Wrapping material 4, 4' for the inner and the outer fold is supplied in form of ribbons 3, respectively, and 3 from suitably arranged storage rollers 19 and 19 (FIG. 5). Above the feeding table 1 which rotates in a predetermined direction, a cutting device 5 is provided, severing a piece of wrapping material 4, 4 above each recess 2 and 2 in the table 1 and the object 14, 14' contained therein.

Below the rotating table 1 a bracket 7 carries two pistons 6 and 6' which together with the bracket 7 performs avertical reciprocating movement, thereby passing through the recesses 2 and 2' in the table 1 and lifting the objects 14, 14' together with the piece of wrapping material 4, 4' placed thereon. The pistons 6 and 6' force the objects through a folding tunnel or similar device 17 so that the wrapping material 4, 4' partially encloses the objects 14, 14'. The folding and closing devices 17 are not illustrated in detail. As soon as the pistons 6 and 6 have reached their uppermost position and forced the object 14, 14', together with the wrapping material 4, 4, through the folding tunnel 17, the partially enclosed object 14, 14 is seized by a pair of grippers 12, 12 mounted on a chain 11. Control elements, which are not illustrated, operate the grippers 12 at the right moment. The chain 11 and the grippers 12, 12 move in the direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 5. At first, however, a reciprocating folding device 9, 9' folds the rear end of the wrapping material 4, 4, as seen in the direction of feed, over the objects 14, 14' after the piston 6 or, respectively, 6' has moved downwardly. Upon further movement of the chain 11 the front end of the wrapping material 4, 4 is eventually folded over the object 14, 14 by means of stationary guides 10 which may be curved or otherwise shaped. In this way, the objects 14, 14' are enclosed by a wrapper 4, 4' which is open at both ends.

Upon further movement of the chains 11 the already pre-packed objects 14, 14 are brought within reach of rotary grippers 8, 8 and counter holders 13, 13 which are arranged in pairs, as shown in FIG. 3. The rotary grippers 8, 8' and 13, 13', respectively, seize the wrapping material 4, 4' projecting beyond the object and the counter holders turn it once or twice so that a twisted fold is achieved.

The grippers 12, 12' are actuated by any known conventional drive means. After the twisting operation the object 14, 14' is completely wrapped so that upon further movement of the chains 11 the grippers 12, 12' are opened and the completely packed objects 14, 14 are ejected at a suitable place, for instance above a chute 16.

To enable several pistons 6 and 6' to be operated by a single drive mechanism, it is necessary to remove the rotary grippers 8, 8' and the counter holders 13 and 13', which require considerable space for their drive and the twisting operation, from the immediate vicinity of the pro-folders and pistons. They are arranged apart from each other, a set of grippers 8, 8' and counter holders 13, 13' being provided for each piston o and 6' as illustrated in FIG. 3. Consequently, several conveyors and several chains 11 and gripping devices 12, 12 have to be fitted. These chains 11 pass over guides or drive members 15 and 15 which are inclined relative to each other as illustrated in FIG. 3. Both, conveyors 11 and the grippers 12, 12' mounted thereon, simultaneously seize one of the partially packed objects supplied by the pistons 6 and 6'. Due to the inclined axes of rotation 18, 18 of the members 15 and 15 with respect to each other (FIG. 3), the gripping devices 12, 12 grip the closely spaced objects 14 from the pistons 6, 6 and deliver them to the widely spaced apart grippers 12, 12, 8, 8 and counter holders 13, 13' arranged at a remote position.

If the objects, having two ends have to be packed, as illustrated in FIG. 1, double-acting members 8, 8' 13, 13' are provided. When bags according to FIG. 2 have to be closed by twisting, single-acting members 8" and 13" will be used, as illustrated in FIG. 3a.

In the embodiment shown, two pistons 6 and 6' are mounted on a single drive means and bracket 7. It is to be understood that more than two of these pistons can be employed which are operated by a single drive. A corresponding number of folding tunnels, pre-folders, chains, etc. has to beprovided, as well as a greater number of twisting members.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for wrapping small articles, especially chocolate bodies, candies and similar articles with wrappers, comprising a feeding table having at least two rows of feeding openings, said feeding table receiving said articles to be wrapped, and a wrapping head co-ordinated to each of said rows of feeding openings of said table, said wrapping heads having gripping means, a piston coordinated to each of said wrapping eating through said feeding openings of said feeding table for moving said articles from said feeding openings towards said gripping means,--the rotating axes of said grippers being disposed at an angle towards each other, each of said grippers moving in a circular path and assuming and L heads and reciproan article receiving position, wherein two adjacent articles are at a narrowest distance from each other equal with the distance between said two rows of feeding openings in said feeding table, to an article wrapping position, wherein said two adjacent articles assume a greater distance from each other, inorder to provide suflicient space for the wrapping operation.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in'claim 1, wherein said feeding table is rotatably mounted and the axes of said grippers are {disposed at an angle towards the rotating 7 axis of said feeding table and arranged in a plane extending through the centers of said two feeding openings releasingsimultaneously said articles to said wrapping heads and further extending perpendicularly to the plane of saidfeeding table, so that said rotating planes of said grippers are arranged at V-shape towards each other.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said two pistons are combined to asingle unit, thereby movin said pistons simultaneously, said two pistons being spaced apart at a distance equal to the distance of said two feeding openings from which said articles to be wrapped are released simultaneously.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes pre-wrapping means for said articles and finishing wrapping mearis-forsaid articles co-ordinated to said wrapping heads, ;said prewrapping means being disposed between said feeding table and said wrapping heads, and said finishing wrapping means beingdisposed at a greater distance from each other than that of said prewrapping means due to the inclination oftherotating axis of said gripping means.

5. The apparatus, as setforth in claim 1, which includes an endless chain and said grippers are disposed on said endless chain. v

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said finishing wrapping means includes single-acting twisting means for said wrappers co-ordinated to said wrapping heads and performing a twistto one end of said wrappers.

7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said finishing wrapping means includes double-acting twisting means for said wrappers co-ordinated to said wrapping heads and performing a twist to both ends of said wrappers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 528,751 =Weinman et al. NOV. 6, 1894 929,075 Buhse .et al. July 27, 1909 1,144,022 Berger June 22, 1915 1,424,363 Leurnann Aug. 1, 1922 1,955,493 Grover Apr. 17, 1934 1,984,894 Rose Dec. 18, 19,34 

